Peter Saul

A Pop Art predecessor, Peter Saul is known for his luridly coloured, contrarian depictions of popular culture and political history. In the 1950s and 60s, reacting against Abstract Expressionism s seriousness and influenced by Surrealist Roberto Matta, Saul began to paint everyday objects like iceboxes, steaks, and toilets in bright colours, along with political works like his series of graphic, cartoonish Vietnam paintings (1960s), which, though they had no clear moral message or political agenda, were evidently anti Vietnam War. Jumbling references like Mickey Mouse, Ethel Rosenberg, and Willem de Kooning, his work also includes darkly humorous self-portraits. His work is often compared to the riotous palettes and caustic wit of artists such as Robert Colescott, Raymond Pettibon, and R. Crumb. The book includes several contributions: Richard Shiff, renowned art historian, writes about the work from a more formalist and historical perspective; Annabelle Teneze provides a substantive essay on every period of the artist s long career; and critic Bruce Hainley addresses the satirical aspect of the artist s work.